How to Travel to and Around Tangalle – Your Options for Visiting a Captivating Coastal Town

Tangalle, which is located in Sri Lanka’s Southern Province, would be an attractive destination for foreign visitors. This town would be noted for its pleasant climate, alluring natural scenery and idyllic sandy beaches. There would be several useful ways to get to and around this captivating town and described below., are the main options to keep in mind.

By bus 

Travelling by bus would be a good way to reach the town of Tangalle; this wouldn’t be surprising since the nation boasts an extensive network of buses with services extending to many parts of the country.  You would have the opportunity to take a bus to Tangalle from the commercial capital, Colombo; this journey should take you around six to seven hours. You may also have the chance to avail yourself of an air-conditioned intercity bus that would be rather more comfortable than the regular buses plying Sri Lanka’s roads. 

Once you reach Tangalle, you would only have the option of taking buses that ply the main road; there wouldn’t be other bus services with which to explore the area and you would be obliged to use other means of transport. 

By train 

You would also be able to travel part of the journey to Tangalle by train which would be another option to consider. You will find that you would be able to travel efficiently by train in Sri Lanka and the amazing scenery you would encounter on the way would be an additional bonus. 

When it comes to getting to Tangalle, you would be able to take the train journey from Colombo, to the town of Matara; you would then have to take a taxi or bus to make your way to Tangalle. This train trip would take three to four hours whilst the taxi / bus component of the journey should take only about half an hour.

Andy Nobes, Train track on the beach in Colombo (16779050855), CC BY 2.0 

By taxi / car 

As you might expect travelling in an air-conditioned taxi would be a comfortable and rapid way of getting to and around Tangalle and other destinations in Sri Lanka. Naturally, this would however be a comparatively expensive mode of travel. 

You could also rent a car and drive it yourself, although you would need the relevant permit and it may take some time to get used to the local driving conditions. You will also have the option of hiring a car with a driver to get about. When it comes to reaching this destination from the Bandaranaike International Airport  (about a 2.5-hour drive) or the Mattala International Airport (about a 1 hour and 15-minute drive), you can look to stay at Tangalle hotels which offer airport transfers; these include properties like  Anantara Peace Haven Tangalle Resort which provide a convenient luxury chauffeur service.

By motorcycle and air 

Adventurous and confident riders could also opt to rent a motorcycle for their travels in Sri Lanka. For this, you would need the necessary documentation, but renting a motorcycle should be very affordable. Naturally, you should be careful as you would be unfamiliar with the local riding conditions. 

Your final option would be travelling part of the way to Tangalle by air. In this regard, you would have to undertake a domestic flight to the Mattala International Airport, and then use a bus or taxi to make your way to this destination. Some domestic airlines also fly to Dickwella which is even closer to the town.

By tuk-tuk 

Numerous foreign visitors as well as locals would use the ubiquitous tuk-tuks to get about Sri Lanka. They could readily be found in virtually any locality and would provide an enjoyable and appealing way to go exploring. Keep in mind that this form of transport is not ideal for long journeys and it would naturally be more expensive than using buses or trains. Thus, you should look to use tuk-tuks to make brief journeys to get around Tangalle and not further afield. Additionally, keep in mind it would be advisable to negotiate a price with the tuk-tuk driver before setting off for your destination.